Trophy King salmon on the fly in one of fishing’s last frontiers
Overview
Finding an Undiscovered Fly-Fishing Destination
Yet twin brothers Alex and Nico Trochine spent years scouring South America in search of one. In February 2015, they launched an exploratory mission along the central Chilean coast, chasing rumors of massive King Salmon pushing into remote rivers. They sampled several systems – many held Kings, but few offered the fly-friendly conditions they were looking for.
It wasn’t until the final river of their journey that they realized they had found what might be South America’s King-fishing Shangri-La. Stunned by the dramatic scenery, ideal river structure, average fish size of 25-50 lbs, and the sheer abundance of salmon, they knew this was the place to build their operation.
The River
The river winds through a lush valley framed by glacier-capped granite peaks. Even after heavy rains, it maintains a deep turquoise clarity and offers a diverse range of fishable structure: long gravel bars, massive boulders, classic tailouts, and deep, powerful runs. For decades, this river remained largely unknown to the fly-fishing world simply due to its isolation. Today, through careful development and stewardship, Austral Kings offers access to one of the most unique King Salmon fisheries in the Southern Hemisphere.
